Critiki ratings

Regulars & Visitors

Humuhumu’s description

Okolemaluna Tiki Lounge opened in November 2010, and closed in September 2012. (Okole maluna is Hawaiian for "bottoms up"; the Hawaiian "cheers".) Owners Brice and Lisa Ginardi put the focus solidly on the quality of the cocktails, serving classic tiki recipes made with locally-sourced fresh ingredients. As any cocktail lover who has visited Hawaii can tell you, this was a huge boon, a respite from the over-sweet, over-chemical drinks found everywhere in the islands. Okolemaluna's menu had about twenty cocktails, a mix of historic tiki cocktails from the great Polynesian palaces, and some new creations. The menu also had a small selection of pupus.

If you finished the entire drink menu, you could join the Okolemaluna Mug Club: you got your own custom mug kept on a special shelf behind the bar.

Beyond the drinks, Okolemaluna also sought to set a historic tone with the environment. The music was a mix of vintage and modern Exotica, and the space was filled with bamboo and lauhala matting. There was a lava rock waterfall, and some decor from defunct tiki bars.

We visited the Kona coast in December and made sure to find this place in the back of a strip mall. The drinks were fantastic, and the pupus were also good (especially enjoyed the bacon-wrapped pineapple and the teriyaki sliders). The tiki-kitschy decor is a lot of fun. The owner is obviously a true afficianado of tiki culture. I'm surprised this place isn't on the top 25 list, with such a high average critiki. I've been to four of your top 25, and Okolemaluna Tiki Lounge is superior to any of them (with Frankie's Tiki Room a very close second).

We visited the Kona coast in December and made sure to find this place in the back of a strip mall. The drinks were fantastic, and the pupus were also good (especially enjoyed the bacon-wrapped pineapple and the teriyaki sliders). The tiki-kitschy decor is a lot of fun. The owner is obviously a true afficianado of tiki culture. I'm surprised this place isn't on the top 25 list, with such a high average critiki. I've been to four of your top 25, and Okolemaluna Tiki Lounge is superior to any of them (with Frankie's Tiki Room a very close second).

This was the highlight of our trip. Owner (and talented mixologist)Brice is very gracious, approachable, and passionate about tiki. The drinks were delicious, and succulent. I could literally taste the freshness...much better than neighboring Don's. Also of note, is that there are many rare concoctions of the drink menu in addition to the standard fare. Apparently Brice just won the people's choice award at the mai tai festival, but I was much more interested in trying more of the exotic drinks. For example, my first drink was called the "Happy Buddha", from a receipe of a now defunct Waikiki bar of the 50's. It was savory. Within minutes I was on my second drink, Brice's own "Wicked Wahine". This drink was also divine.

Okolemaluna lounge also has it's own unique tikimug by world renound Gecko. It's not one of those mass produced types, it's well made and fits great in my collection.

The food selection was limited to pupu's, but they were very good, and a real bargain. I rated the decor lowest, but this bar is new and I'm sure they'll continue to add to the atmosphere and decor in time. I did like the retro videos playing, as well as tiki memoribilia under your placemats. I was delighted to see a Kahiki postcard and drink menu on display (Brice, did you outbid me on ebay to win that one? lol).

All in all, this place should not be missed. You'd be doing yourself a disservice for not visiting, especially if you love flavorful coctails.If I had my way, I would have extended my vacation an extra week to try all the drinks on the menu...the 3 I did try were that good.

nutz was a regular at Okolemaluna Tiki Lounge, and was usually there Thurs - Sun.

May 29, 2011, 3:08 PM

You've just gotta go here if you're ever on the Big Island of Hawaii. All the great people hang out here! The drinks are out of this world, the pupus (appetizers) are tasty, and the atmosphere is classic Tiki! My week is never complete without several stops here.